Learn the basics about alternative cancer treatment for prostate cancer.

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Perhaps you are looking for ways to alleviate the side effects of your prostate cancer treatment without medication. Or maybe you are opting for "watchful waiting" as a way of treating your prostate cancer and you're seeking some complementary therapies to help manage side effects of the cancer itself.

If you are looking for some more natural ways to supplement your traditional prostate cancer treatment, you may want to ask your doctor about complementary and alternative cancer treatment.

What Is Complementary and Alternative Cancer Treatment?
Complementary and alternative treatments are two different things. Complementary treatments are used along with traditional prostate cancer treatment methods, such as surgery, hormone therapy, or radiation. Alternative treatments are used in place of traditional prostate cancer treatment methods.

Some common complementary and alternative cancer treatments include:

Massage, yoga, and meditation. These can be used along with traditional treatments to
alleviate stress and anxiety related to prostate cancer and its treatments.
Some research also suggests that meditation may help improve symptoms of
urinary incontinence, a common side effect of prostate cancer surgery and
radiation.

Acupuncture. This can be used to help control pain associated with
prostate cancer and its traditional medical treatments. Acupuncture
has even been found to alleviate hot flashes, which men may
have if they are getting hormonal therapy. In one recent study by New York
Methodist Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, men
who received twice-weekly acupuncture for four weeks after prostate cancer
treatment saw a 20-point improvement in their “hot flash score.” Another small
study found a 70 percent reduction in symptoms.

Saw palmetto. This herb may help alleviate some of the urinary symptoms of an enlarged prostate, but it is not recommended for prostate cancer. Since it may affect PSA levels, it may decrease the accuracy of PSA test results.

PC-SPES. This herb has been prescribed in the past to help
alleviate the symptoms of an enlarged prostate, but recent research published
in the Journal of the American Medical Association
suggests it’s not an effective prostate remedy. Also, it may affect the
accuracy of PSA test results.

Are Complementary and Alternative Cancer Treatments Safe?
Many complementary treatments are safe and effective in treating the side effects of traditional medical prostate cancer treatments, as long as they are approved by your doctor.

"Mind-body techniques" can be safe and effective ways to get through — but not to treat — prostate cancer. They help people manage side effects of prostate cancer and its treatment.

"By mind-body techniques you're talking about things like art or music therapy, support groups, hypnosis, imagery and visualization, relaxation, religious counseling, and other spiritual methods. Those generally help people deal with the anxiety and the stress, and sometimes with pain," says Ted Gansler, MD, director of medical content at the American Cancer Society. Dr. Gansler has conducted research on complementary and alternative therapies to determine who most often turns to those types of treatments.

"Men with prostate cancer use a number of complementary therapies less often than people with other cancers, and less often than women," he says. "It's not clear why, but it's something that men need to discuss with their doctors — they may be missing out on opportunities for benefit from some complementary therapies that can relieve their symptoms."

However, alternative cancer treatments may not be safe. Unlike standard medical treatments that have proven success in beating prostate cancer, the cancer may be progressing during alternative treatment, and the alternative treatment may be unsuccessful. Dietary supplements are a very common form of alternative cancer treatments for prostate cancer, but many are not as strictly regulated or tested as prescription or over-the-counter medications.

"Especially in the context of what we're hearing about the very, very lax regulation of both herbal products and even prescription drugs coming from China, it's probably good advice to be cautious about those products," notes Gansler.

Complementary and Alternative Cancer Treatments: Don't Rely on Labels
You can't always believe what you read on the labels, according to Gansler.

"One thing that's regulated very loosely is the claims of benefit," says Gansler. Legally, manufacturers of herbal supplements aren't allowed to say certain things, but "they can say that it improves prostate health, and they don't have to provide any evidence at all to the FDA," says Gansler. "Marketers are allowed to make very vague claims without providing any supporting evidence to the FDA." While there is a disclaimer on the label, many people assume that these claims are reliable and validated, and that may not be the case.

"That's why it's important to check with your doctor about it, and to check Web sites of reputable organizations," he says. "The [American Cancer Society] has a lot of good information on complementary and alternative therapies." Gansler also recommends the Web sites of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center as valuable resources for prostate cancer patients who want to find out more about complementary and alternative therapies.

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